George Michael sets out to shock on his latest tour

Controversial: George Michael has introduced the shock factor to his latest tour

No stranger to controversy, George Michael's first tour in 15 years was never going to be a subdued affair.

True to form, the 43-year-old star did his utmost to shock on the first night of his comeback tour, with an ill-advised political satire featuring cartoon bestiality.

Sporting his trademark shades, designer stubble and a two-piece suit, the singer launched into a passionate rendition of his 2002 political track, Shoot The Dog.

But as he belted out the anti-war number, which portrayed Tony Blair as George Bush's poodle, a cartoon backdrop showing Bush, Blair and the Prime Minister's wife, Cherie, in bed together, emerged.

While the song itself has gained in resonance over the years, George used it to unveil the Barcelona show's most shocking visual image. An enormous balloon, a grotesque cartoon version of the American President, rose out of the centre of the stage, hovering menacingly above the singer.

When the star leaned down to unzip the balloon's trousers, out popped a British bulldog draped with the UK flag.

The dog was stuck to the balloon's inflated crotch, wagging its tail.

Whether or not a giant model of the President engaging in a lewd act with a British Bulldog added anything to the song's on-stage impact in Barcelona is open to debate.

The 16,000-strong crowd, who began whistling uncomfortably, appeared to think not - which may explain why Michael refused to pass any further comment once the four minute song was over.

Of course, controversy is nothing new to Michael. He was arrested in 1998 for engaging in a 'lewd act' in a public toilet in Los Angeles, after which he ended years of speculation about his sexuality by announcing that he was gay.

And earlier this year he was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs after falling asleep at the wheel of his car.

He has also become embroiled in a very public, bitter row with Sir Elton John.

The first night of his sell-out 25Live tour however, otherwise passed smoothly.

On stage for two hours and 20 minutes, he ran through 23 of the songs that have made him a multimillionaire with 85 million record sales under his belt.

He harked back to Wham!, the pop duo he formed in 1982, by singing Everything She Wants and a high-octane I'm Your Man.

After warming up the crowd with a few of his classics, he performed a number of songs live for the very first time, singing recent single An Easier Affair and dipping into 2004's Patience album to premiere Amazing and Flawless.